


Snowdrops

by drunkelsa



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:53:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22248172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkelsa/pseuds/drunkelsa
Summary: Elsa is finally content living in the Enchanted Forest with Honeymaren and the Northuldra people. But after feeling a familiar sense of unease upon returning to Arendelle with Honeymaren for a visit, she begins to feel sick and her power starts to change in mysterious ways. Elsa, being Elsa, hides her feelings of illness the best she can, but the changes in her powers are less easy to conceal, and the group starts on a journey to find a solution. But as certain dangers arise, Honeymaren finds that she may be willing to risk much more than she thought for the newfound Fifth Spirit.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

“You know, you belong up here,”

  
The words echoed in Elsa’s mind, as she knelt on the grass in front of the stretch of water where the dam once stood. Breathing in her freedom, she mindlessly created wisps of sparkling magic around her in lazy patterns. With the stresses of being queen gone, Elsa felt as though she was finally exactly where she was meant to be, and she hoped it would never change- although the former queen knew well enough to be wary of the possibility of change. She remembered the words that her sister had passed on to her from Lt. Matthias: “Remember, just when you think you’ve found your way, life sets you on a new path.” 

“You’re up early,” came a voice behind her, interrupting her thoughts, and she recognized it instantly. Honeymaren. Elsa couldn’t help but smile. When she first came to live in the Enchanted Forest, there was a nagging feeling inside her that, although she felt connected to the spirits, she would have a hard time connecting with the Northuldra people themselves. Being the queen of Arendelle had given her a chance to get used to socializing with her kingdom and leaders of the surrounding areas, but she had little experience in forming personal relationships after so many years of isolation. 

Thankfully, with Honeymaren, conversation came naturally. Maren quickly volunteered to be the one to show Elsa the ways of her people and the forest when she moved, so they had been growing closer by the day. Elsa turned to her, their eyes meeting for a moment before she turned back to the horizon. 

“Good morning,” she replied gently as Honeymaren knelt beside her. 

“I came over here for a reason,” Maren began, smiling. “Other than to annoy you, of course.” She leaned closer to the woman beside her, letting out a small laugh. 

“Of course,” Elsa teased back, feeling herself relax even more at the presence of her friend. 

“I know I already took you on a tour of all the important things, but I was walking back to my hut last night and I saw- ” She stopped. “Well, I’ll just show you!” Maren hopped up. “Come on, you’re really going to like this… I mean, I hope you do.” 

“I’m sure I will,” Elsa replied, standing up and following Maren who had already started making her way back through the woods. The two ended up at a somewhat secluded area, but not so closed off that it was far from the main camp. “Here they are!” Maren said, suddenly looking nervous, but excited nonetheless. She gestured at the ground beneath them. Elsa looked down to see several clusters of white flowers painting the earthy brown backdrop of the forest floor. The stems reached up and curled into candy cane shapes, with clean white petals hanging from them like canopies of snow. Elsa didn’t know what to say at first, but Honeymaren never seemed to be at a loss for words. “They’re called snowdrops,” she explained. “They usually bloom in the wintertime but it looks like they popped up early this year. I thought you would like them.” She rubbed her hands together. 

Elsa leaned down to get a closer look at the blooming flowers. “Honeymaren, they’re beautiful. I love them.” 

Maren’s shoulders instantly seemed to relax. “I’m glad.” 

The two stood enjoying the flowers which seemed to be a gift from the forest itself. 

“Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, too,” Elsa said after pulling her eyes away from the snowdrops. 

She had planned to leave later that morning to begin the trip back to Arendelle for a short visit. It hadn’t been long since she had last seen Anna - and Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, of course - but she always loved seeing her sister and being there for family game nights. 

“What is it?” Maren asked. 

“I was wondering… if you would want to come with me to Arendelle. It would only be for a couple of days- I know you have responsibilities here. And you don’t have to come, obviously, but… well, you’ve been so thoughtful showing me your world here in the forest. Why don’t you let me show you mine?” 

Elsa knew that Arendelle had never truly been the place that she belonged, but she still held great pride for the kingdom she once ruled. On top of that, she knew that Maren had never really been outside of the forest, and she smiled at the thought of being able to show her the new technologies she wouldn’t have otherwise known about. 

Honeymaren began to blush - a detail that she hoped the fifth spirit standing in front of her didn’t notice. “I would love to.” 


	2. Chapter 2

It was the day following the morning of the snowdrops that Elsa arrived in Arendelle. She always made quite an entrance arriving on the back of the water spirit itself, but this time the usual chatter grew as Honeymaren approached behind her on a large reindeer. As promised, Anna was waiting at their agreed meeting spot, bubbling with excitement. “Anna,” Elsa smiled, opening her arms to give her sister a hug. Anna practically ran to her. “Ohhh I have so much to tell you! Arendelle is doing well of course, and Kristoff-” she paused when Honeymaren appeared next to Elsa after dismounting her reindeer. The Northuldra woman was completely in awe looking at the village around her, and the castle that seemed to tower watchfully over the fjord. 

“Hi, Honeymaren! I didn’t know you were coming too!” Anna’s words snapped Maren out of her trance. Elsa smiled. “I didn’t think you would mind if I invited her. She’s never been this far outside the forest, you know.” 

Maren gave a shy smile at that and waved. 

“Of course I don’t mind!” Anna said, pulling Honeymaren into a hug of her own, which took her by surprise. “The more the merrier, right?” 

Elsa was happy to be back with her sister. Anna’s optimism and cheerfulness always put her in a good mood, and it made her smile seeing the new queen truly happy again. She opened her mouth to respond, but Kristoff showing up to the small group interrupted her. He was excited to see Elsa too; they were practically family since the engagement. 

After they exchanged their own greetings and chatted for a while, Anna regretfully had to leave to attend a meeting but promised that they would all meet up again later in the day. Kristoff followed his fiancé, leaving Elsa to show Maren her kingdom. 

Elsa tried to show her the best of the best and beamed as Maren asked questions about everything unfamiliar, clearly entranced by the new sights she was being introduced to. The castle was the last thing Elsa presented. The impressive structure once had felt like a prison to her, but now she was happy to be there and to share it with the woman beside her. She led her to one of the many balconies the castle boasted and looked out at the sun, which was beginning to set. 

“That’s about everything I can think of,” Elsa said, turning to Honeymaren. “So what do you think?”  
  
Maren was grinning from ear to ear. “This is… this is incredible, Elsa.” She took a step closer, not really thinking about how she was lessening the gap between them. “Thank you for showing this to me,” she continued in a soft voice. 

Elsa, on the other hand, was suddenly very aware of how close Maren was. Close enough, in fact, that she could smell the scent of sweet flowers and pine that lingered, even though they were far from the forest. The sensation and the warmth between them caused her heart to flutter in her chest, and she found herself at a loss for words. Elsa had never thought about Honeymaren in a romantic way before. She had never thought of anyone in a romantic way before. She knew that love was a powerful thing, but she couldn’t imagine what it might feel like to actually love someone in that way. Besides, she had ruled out the possibility of her ever truly finding love long ago. Being the way she was, she just assumed that no one would ever want her - someone who couldn’t give them a normal, peaceful life; someone who let their fears and anxieties grow so big inside them. 

Elsa was pulled out of her thoughts by Maren’s hand on her shoulder. “Hey, are you ok?” 

Elsa took a step back. “Yes. Yes, sorry I was just thinking about… how glad I am that you’re here,” she smiled.

“Aw, I’m glad I’m here too.” 

********************************

Later that night, after she had caught up with everyone and showed Honeymaren to her room, Elsa was laying on her back in the same bed that she had once heard the voice in, leading her to Ahtohallan. Once again, she felt a strong sense of unease, but for reasons she could no longer place. There was no voice, but the familiar feeling that there was something she had yet to do stirred within her. Eventually, she decided that laying in bed wasn’t doing her any good and walked softly down the spiral stairs to the kitchen. 

The halls were dark at night with the only light being the moonlight that would beam through the windows, casting long shadows on the walls. Elsa hurried to the kitchen and started sifting through the many drawers. “Ah,” she said softly to herself when she found the cocoa powder she had been looking for. Nothing quite soothed her anxieties like a cup of hot chocolate. It reminded her of her mother, Iduna, who used to bring her the comforting drink when she or Anna would have a bad dream. She let out a bittersweet sigh at the thought and began heating the water over a flame, distracted by thoughts of her parents and her childhood before the gates were closed. 

Suddenly, Elsa felt as though the room was getting hotter, and a searing pain shocked her arm causing her to cry out in surprise. She looked down to see that the sleeve of her gown, along with a couple of cloth napkins had caught fire, and the flame was beginning to spread across the counter. She quickly flicked her hand, creating a sheet of ice and frost that put out the fire before cringing at the sight of the now semi-frozen kitchen. 

“Elsa?”  
  


The sound of another voice caused her to jump in surprise as another layer of ice covered the counter she was leaned against. She made a mental note to get a handle on that, as she always seemed to be so easily startled. Elsa turned to see Honeymaren standing in the doorway in the dim light. Of course, it _had_ to be the near-flawless woman that she was only still getting to know to witness her accidental freeze. She felt heat rise to her cheeks and let out an embarrassed laugh. 

“Hey, Maren. Uh, what are you doing up?” 

Honeymaren suppressed a giggle as she watched the former queen quickly retract the ice from the kitchen. 

“I heard someone going down the stairs, and didn’t think much of it, but then I thought I heard you shout, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Elsa felt herself turning even more red at that, but Maren’s warm smile and the sentiment that she cared enough to come down and check on her eased her embarrassment. 

“So what are _you_ doing down here?” Maren continued, taking a seat at the counter where Elsa stood. 

Elsa sighed, grabbing the somewhat cooled hot chocolate from the stove. “I haven’t been able to sleep. I don’t know. That feeling is back… like something is going to happen. Something bad.” She took a sip from the mug, holding it with both of her hands. 

“Like when you heard the voice?” Maren questioned. 

“Kind of… but it’s different. I don’t know. Maybe I’m overthinking all of this.” 

“I get it. But hey, the voice did lead you to me… the forest, I mean. And Ahtohallan, of course,” Honeymaren said. “Maybe this isn’t as bad as you think.” 

Elsa nodded, feeling soothed by Maren’s low voice and the familiar taste of the hot chocolate. Maybe this time there was something good coming her way. 

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Elsa woke up later than usual the next morning. She was normally the first one up in the castle, but she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night so it made sense that she needed to catch up. She wondered if Honeymaren had slept in too, and the events of the night before came back to her. They had talked for over an hour before Maren went back to her room- she was surprised their laughter didn’t wake the rest of the house. 

“I should really go meet up with them,” Elsa thought to herself. She didn’t have much time before her return to the forest and wanted to get as much time in with everyone as possible. 

She sat up quickly… maybe too quickly as her vision suddenly spotted, and her head felt like it was spinning. She shook it off, and swung her feet over the side of the bed, standing up more slowly and carefully. She hadn’t even made one full step before her legs began to feel weak and shaky, and she fell to the floor. Elsa then heard a crackling sound and looked down to see ice spreading where her hands had hit the ground to brace her fall. This was odd because Elsa was almost completely in control of her powers, and she definitely hadn’t meant to freeze the floor- but even more so in that, it wasn’t its usual crystal blue color. Instead, it shone a deep amber that she had only seen once before: in the ice palace when she was under attack. Elsa stood up again, regaining her balance and removing the ice from the floor. The ice had only turned that color before because she had been scared of herself and of the men with their weapons pointed at her. Now, there was no threat to her whatsoever. 

But Elsa didn’t have much time to think it over. The familiar knocking pattern on her door let her know that Anna had come to see what was taking her so long to get downstairs. 

Elsa opened the door, and sure enough her sister stood in front of her already ready for the day. 

“This is a first,” Anna joked. “What made you sleep in so late?” 

“I didn’t sleep much last night,” Elsa said. 

“Oh no!” Anna’s expression changed to one of genuine concern. “Are you ok? Is something bothering you?” 

“No, no it’s nothing. I’m ok.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I’m sure.”

Elsa smiled at her sister which seemed enough for her to drop the subject.

“Well get downstairs then! Breakfast is ready!” She practically skipped back down the hall to her fiancé and friends. 

“I’ll meet you down there.” 

Elsa hesitated, turning back at the spot on the floor where she had fallen as if she expected to see something there. Finally, she told herself that it must have been a fluke thing. It was possible that she still didn’t fully understand every aspect of her powers, after all. But the anxiety gnawed at her even as she walked downstairs to the dining room. 

Anna, Olaf, and Honeymaren were already sitting around the table when Elsa entered the room. Her eyes met Honeymaren’s and she smiled and gave a little wave before sitting down. A warm, delicious smell wafted in from the kitchen and Elsa assumed the castle’s cooking staff was hard at work, but to her surprise, it was Kristoff who came out carrying a basket of warm rolls, eggs, and jam. “Good morning, everyone,” he said, taking off his oven mitts and kissing Anna on the cheek before sitting down himself. 

Elsa laughed. “Since when do you cook?” She had remembered a stew that Kristoff had made - a recipe from the trolls - that was nearly inedible, but she supposed Anna may have taught him a thing or two since then. The two were always learning from each other and having fun doing it, and Elsa found herself wondering what it would be like if she were to have that with someone. 

The group chatted over breakfast, and in that moment Elsa could not be happier. Surrounded by her favorite people, with Olaf interjecting with trivia and Sven napping in his stable awaiting the plans of the day, she had completely forgotten about the events of the morning. 

Until she felt the dizziness in her head again. “Excuse me,” she said hurrying to the bathroom. She heard Honeymaren ask if she was alright as she left, but she only called back that she was fine without turning around. Once the bathroom door was closed she splashed some water on her face. When she looked back up in the mirror, she sighed with relief as the color returned to her cheeks- but the relief was short-lived. Reddish colored ice began to surround the edges of the mirror, even darker than before. This was something that was completely out of her control… 

As if someone else had taken over her powers; as if they had gained a life of their own. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say thank you to those who have been leaving comments, and to everyone taking the time to read this! I truly appreciate it. Also, this chapter is a bit short and I apologize for that, but it does allow me to update more frequently so I hope it's ok!!

Elsa watched in horror as the dark red ice cracked and spread from the mirror to the edges of the wall. She tried to retract it, which seemed to work at first, but with the rising panic in her chest, it felt as though she was pulling something heavier than her strength allowed. 

In that moment, Elsa felt a rush of frustration, shame, and fear flood her at once. Why was this still happening? She had worked so hard to control her powers and her emotions, but the feeling of them being too strong and the fear of hurting someone could never truly go away it seemed. She sunk to the floor with her back against the wall as the ice grew and seemed to close in on her, and the tears that had welled up in her eyes began to fall. 

She was supposed to be a gift. Was there truly something wrong with her? Is this what she deserved?   
  


Elsa heard a soft knocking on the door, and she felt the fear rise to her throat. There was no way of hiding what was happening to her, but showing the truth, even to those close to her was something that was ingrained in her to never do. Still, she swallowed nervously and stood up, opening the door. She would not conceal this. 

She had expected to see Anna there, coming to check on her, but instead, it was Honeymaren who stood in front of her face, still wet with tears. 

“Elsa?? What’s going on?” Maren’s eyes moved from Elsa to the icy room behind her which seemed to glow its menacing red and instinctively took a step backward without realizing it. The Northuldra woman had never seen magic like that before, and it took her by surprise; surprise that Elsa could only interpret as fear. “Honeymaren is afraid of me,” she thought, and her heart sank to her stomach as she ran passed the other woman, unable to make eye contact. 

“Elsa, wait!” 

Elsa could only rush to her room and close the door. All she had wanted to do since she first laid eyes on Maren was befriend her and impress her and… she let her mind trail off. Now that she was alone and the strange magic seemed to have stopped, she relaxed a bit but it didn’t change the fact that she was sure Maren now saw her as a monster. 

Several moments passed while Elsa steadied her breathing and her mind once again. She decided that she would have to go tell Honeymaren that something bad was happening to her and apologize for frightening her, although she worried the other woman had already left, not wanting to see her anymore. 

To her surprise, Honeymaren was waiting for her downstairs, pacing back and forth in the halls. 

“Oh thank goodness! I wasn’t sure if I should go up. I didn’t want to make you more upset- I didn’t mean to upset you in the first place, it was just that the others were going to get Sven and wait outside for you, and they told me to check on you and tell you to catch up with them and-” 

“You… you didn’t leave? You’re not afraid?” Elsa said softly. 

“Afraid? What would I be afraid of? Elsa, I know you’re not dangerous. I mean you’re the fifth spirit! You’re like- like a goddess or something!” Honeymaren’s eyes lit up while she spoke, and it wasn’t the first time that Elsa had thought to herself- despite everything else going on- that those eyes were beautiful. She took a breath and smiled. 

“Thank you.” 

“But we do need to tell Anna about this… this um… what is happening exactly?” 

“That’s the thing,” Elsa said crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know. But Anna would be so worried I-” 

As if on cue, Anna came into Elsa’s peripheral vision. She had come in to get some carrots for Sven but must have overheard at least the end of the conversation. Her eyebrows lowered in confusion.

“Anna would be worried about what?” she asked. 

Elsa hesitated. 

“Elsa, I’m your sister and we agreed you would keep me in the loop about what’s going on, please.” 

Honeymaren nodded at Elsa, encouraging her to let her sister know what was happening. Elsa exhaled through her nose. 

“Ok,” she said. “There’s something wrong with my powers.” 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Anna’s eyes widened upon hearing the news of Elsa's problem, but only for a moment before she ran over to her and gave her a hug. Elsa paused, surprised at her sister’s reaction, before hugging her back. When they pulled apart Anna had an odd look of simultaneous concern and happiness on her face. 

“Anna, what is it?” 

“I’m just so glad you told me. Now we can finally solve something together! You didn’t…” she was going to say “shut me out,” but she stopped herself, remembering how Elsa still blamed herself for their childhood, and even small reminders of it were enough to cause a pained look to cross her sister’s face. Anna cleared her throat. “So, what’s going on? You’re ok, right? You’re not in danger? I mean we can fix this no matter what but-” 

“Yes, I’m okay,” Elsa reassured her. “I just…” Suddenly she felt unable to describe the frightening changes happening with her powers. Thankfully, Maren stepped in, placing her hand on Elsa’s shoulder for support. 

“I went to go check on her in the bathroom, and the walls were covered in dark red ice. It wasn’t like anything I’ve seen before.”    
  
“And it wasn’t me creating it- at least not intentionally,” Elsa added, regaining her voice. 

“So what - or who - is it?” 

*********************************

“Change of plans, babe! We’re going to the forest!” Anna called out to Kristoff who sat waiting with Olaf and Sven. 

Elsa followed at a less urgent pace with Honeymaren at her side. 

“Are you sure about this, Maren?” She asked, softly. 

“Absolutely. Yelena knows more about magic and the forces of nature than anyone I know. She also knows just about every old story of these lands. Ahtohallan may have the answers of the past, but if anyone knows what might be happening to you right now, it’s Yelena and the spirits.” 

Elsa nodded. Yelena trusted the spirits, and so did she. Seeing what they could find out back in the forest had to be the best option. Kristoff already had the sled prepared and was chatting with his fiancé, and Elsa assumed Anna had caught him up on the situation. Before long, they were back on the trail they had taken not long ago to get to the enchanted forest- although this time with Honeymaren there too. 

Night soon was beginning to fall, and it was Elsa who fell asleep first. As the sled bumped along the path, she felt her eyes getting heavier until eventually, she couldn’t keep them open any longer. Olaf was once again on one side of her, but this time Honeymaren sat on her other side where the bags of supplies were once stored. Maren was simply enjoying the sky, still getting used to how big and beautiful it was, and Anna and Kristoff were deep in conversation. Suddenly, Maren felt a soft touch on her leg. She turned to see Elsa, who must have rolled over in her sleep, now resting her head in Maren’s lap as though it were a pillow. Her heart seemed to stop at first, suddenly careful not to move as not to wake the sleeping woman, but soon she relaxed and even smiled at Elsa’s peaceful form. It took everything in her power not to run her fingers through the soft platinum blonde hair that fell loosely over Elsa’s shoulders which rose and fell with each breath. Maren stayed awake as long as she could after that, wanting to savor each moment. After a while, however, when even Anna had fallen asleep leaning against Kristoff’s shoulder, Maren too let her eyelids fall. 

***************************

A few hours later, Elsa awoke to the sound of Olaf’s voice. 

“Oh, I just LOVE love! When I’m older, I think I’d like to find love too! To have someone to cuddle with like you, Elsa!” 

“Huh?” Elsa thought as she groggily opened her eyes. It took her a moment to realize the soft surface beneath her was, in fact, Honeymaren’s lap and she jumped up in surprise, causing Maren to wake up too. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry I-” 

Maren only laughed, leaning into Elsa warmly to let her know there was no reason to be embarrassed. “Morning, sunshine.” 

Elsa took in Maren’s smile, but it wasn’t long before Anna turned around giving her the “Ooooh someone has a crush” look. Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but Anna spoke first. “We’re here!” 

Sure enough, they had arrived at the four stones that had once been shrouded in a wall of unbreakable mist but now marked the entrance of the open forest. Ryder was there on the back of a reindeer and looked up in surprise when he saw Sven pulling up with Maren and the others. 

“Oh, hey guys,” he said with a wave. “What’s going on?” 

Anna didn’t waste much time. Her face, which had been clear of any worries only moments before, gave away the clear concern she was feeling inside. 

“We need to see Yelena.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Sorry it took a while for me to update, school and work have been crazy. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and thank you so much to those who have been leaving comments. I love getting feedback :)

Ryder led the group through the forest to the main camp, where Yelena was seated around a fire with the others. Yelena looked up and raised her eyebrows when the Northuldra siblings were followed by Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven. 

“Well, this is a surprise…” 

“We need your help, Yelena,” Honeymaren began. “You know a lot about the spirits and their magic right? We were wondering if you knew anything about… well… ” she turned, and her eyes met Elsa’s. She noticed Elsa was rubbing her hands together. She seemed nervous and Maren wished she could hold her and tell her that she was going to be fine. She turned back to Yelena. 

“There’s something wrong with Elsa’s magic. It’s… different.” 

Yelena tilted her head in confusion, but her attention remained fixed with curiosity. “Could you demonstrate, Elsa?” 

Elsa swallowed nervously but nodded. 

“Everyone step back. It’s not entirely in my control, and I don’t want to hurt anyone.” 

Anna watched her sister’s eyes when she heard those words, and saw something in them that broke her heart. Fear of herself. Fear of hurting her loved ones. She could only imagine the feelings that must be resurfacing within the former queen. 

Elsa closed her eyes and waved her hands gently over the ground, but the ice that was formed came out violently and aggressively, even causing her to momentarily lose balance and stumble backward, catching herself and steadying before she fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes however, she took another step back in shock. The ice had gone from amber to red, and now to a menacing, inky black that didn’t sparkle like her usual ice, but still glistened as it caved into spikes and hooks. It was a frightening sight, and even some of the Northuldra children who were lingering curiously nearby gasped and ran to their mothers, causing Elsa’s chest to tighten. She turned to Yelena with a near desperate plea in her eyes. “It seems like it’s getting stronger. Do you have any idea what it could be?” 

Elsa had expected Yelena to be somewhat frightened or unsettled at the least, but the elderly woman remained calm and collected. 

  
“I have heard of this once before,” she began. “My own grandmother told me a story of when she was a child… a story of magic being turned dark and evil. She had been playing in the river with her brother when the water suddenly began to turn black. She was smart enough to get out just in time before the water spirit lost all control and the currents began to rage, pulling everything nearby into the river and washing it away. Her brother was not fast enough, however, and was lost. And that was only the beginning. For three long weeks, the black water was deadly and got stronger every day. Our people managed to stop it only hours before the forest would have been washed away for good.” 

Elsa looked down at her own hands, and Anna could help but share her anxieties. Mostly because she knew if her sister’s ice hurt anyone, even if it was beyond her control, Elsa would never forgive herself. 

“So what caused it? How did they stop it?” Anna said, taking her sister’s hand for support. 

“Eventually, they figured out that the Nokk had been cursed, along with the magic it possessed. The man who had cursed it… a powerful sorcerer who lived in a cave carved from the darkest side of the North mountain. But the sorcerer was killed long ago, and his curse died with him.” 

“So then why is this happening now to Elsa?” 

Yelena only shook her head then, unable to provide any more answers. “That, I do not know.” 

“Well, we have to go to the North mountain then! Right? And find the cave. Maybe there’s something there that can give us an answer, and help Elsa,” Anna said, turning to the group. 

Yelena shook her head once again. “Rest here at least until morning. You’ve just had a long trip and you will need your energy for a journey such as this.”    
  
They reluctantly agreed and Yelena then turned to Honeymaren. “Honeymaren, would you share your hut with Anna and Kristoff so they have a place to sleep please? Perhaps you can room with Elsa for the night.” 

Honeymaren’s eyes widened and she instantly turned red. “Uh- I don’t know I-” Yelena gave her a look, and she gave Elsa a half-smile. “Would that be ok with you?” 

Elsa nodded. “Of course.” 

******************

Anna and Kristoff had gotten the least amount of sleep on the journey to the forest from Arendelle so they went to bed pretty soon after the conversation by the fire, along with nearly everyone else. Olaf shared the room with them as well, and Sven was curled up asleep outside. Elsa and Maren remained by the fire talking about the old Northuldra story and the black water. Maren especially trying to ease Elsa’s concern, telling her that they would find whatever the sorcerer had left behind and stop the curse- that no one would get hurt.

Elsa eventually nodded and sleepily put her head on Maren’s shoulder, not thinking about how forward it might have been through her exhaustion from all the worrying. Maren’s heart began to beat faster at the contact and she placed her hand on top of Elsa’s, which in turn broke Elsa from her trance and she too noticed the intimacy of the moment. Oddly though, she felt okay. She felt safe and comfortable by the warmth of the fire and Maren’s touch. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For being here and for not being afraid.”    
  
Honeymaren turned to face Elsa and suddenly their faces were inches apart. 

“I could never be afraid of you, Elsa,” and with that, she leaned in and placed a kiss on Elsa’s lips. Elsa’s eyes widened momentarily, but she then closed them and leaned into the kiss, placing a hand hesitantly on Maren’s hip. She had never kissed anyone before, and it was better than she ever could have imagined. The warmth of the Northuldra woman, her face illuminated in the glow of the flame, and the sky of stars like flecks of ice, sparkling the way they should be. It was perfect. 

Eventually, they pulled apart and Maren smiled. Her face was flushed and she seemed drunk on the feeling of the kiss, but even so, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. 

“You must be exhausted,” Elsa said, her own smile, unable to falter. 

Honeymaren nodded. “You ready to head inside?” 

Elsa paused. She wasn’t quite tired yet as her heart was still racing, and she wanted to reflect on the moment in the cool, fresh night air. “You go ahead. I’ll be in in a little bit… that was-” she paused, suddenly finding herself unable to articulate what she really wanted to say. “That was amazing,” she finally let out and Honeymaren agreed. 

Soon it was just Elsa alone again at the fire, which was much smaller now as it was beginning to die out. Her heart and mind swirled with thoughts and emotions. The overpowering one was the kiss and Maren and the way she had made her feel… but in the back of her mind, the thought of the danger that could be coming her way made her whole body tense. Finally, she decided that the best thing was for her to get as much rest as she could before tomorrow’s ride to the North mountain. 

Uncertain about using her power to put out the last embers of the fire, Elsa called Bruni over for light and took the short walk to the river to get some water. She had gathered some in a small wooden bowl when her hand suddenly began to tremble. She didn’t even have time to register what was happening before an intense pain shot through her body, and her legs went weak once again. Elsa gasped and fell to the ground, feeling pained and dizzy. The last thing she saw was black ice spreading from where she laid on the ground before she lost consciousness completely. 


End file.
